Each week during the off-season I will be doing this feature that will simply be called "This Week In College Football". We will cover the biggest news and stories of the past week and give some opinions and analysis.
Coaching Changes
Most of the interest this off-season in coaching has been in Head Coaching positions. We've covered some of these like Brady Hoke, Will Muschamp, Steve Adazzio and Kevin Wilson. But now that the Head Coaching dust is settling maybe just as interesting a topic is assistant coaches. Having the right assistant coach that is the yin to your yang can be vital for a coach. Just ask Gene Chizik how much he values Gus Malzahn and what he did with the Auburn offense and Cam Newton this year. We've touch on some of these assistant coaching changes in our "Exit Surveys" already like Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Oklahoma State. Did I mention that I really like the addition of Dana Holgerson to the West Virginia staff? I don't know how great it will work in the first year with Bill Stewart still in charge but watch out for West Virginia in the next few years. With one exception I really like what Mack Brown and Texas has done with his staff. Of course, Mack has the advantage of being Texas which is a destination job. Mack went out and got Boise State's offensive coordinator (Bryan Harsin) and also got Mississippi State's defensive coordinator (Manny Diaz). Let's take a look at Diaz really quickly. Mississippi State's defense reduced it's points allowed by 7 points in his only year in Starkvegas, had 10 more sacks than last year, 29 more tackles for loss, and decreased opponents red zone performance by nearly 10%. I think Diaz will be a very capable replacement for Will Muschamp. The hire I question, as a biased Georgia fan and alum, is why Mack Brown would hire Stacy Searles as his OL coach. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Georgia gets a fresh start without him but this was strictly a "reputation" hire and nothing more. The last two years the Georgia offensive line has been pitiful. In my opinion it was the most under-performing unit in all of college football. Georgia QB Aaron Murray was running for his life and RBs Caleb King and Washaun Ealey grew accustomed to getting blown up by the defense immediately after receiving the hand-off (which often times resulted in disaster for Georgia). Good luck with that Texas, but I think Harsin and Diaz should more than compensate for the Searles hire.
Another very interesting hire is Steve Kragthorpe at LSU as Offensive Coordinator. Les Miles already has a great defensive coach in John Chavis so now he just needs to figure out the offensive side of the football. Kragthorpe is probably most well known for his tenure at Louisville, where he only won 5 Big East games in 3 years. He has NFL experience as a QB Coach and college experience as an OC but it's been a while since he's been in that position. The main reason that it looks like Kragthorpe was the guy hired is that Miles valued someone who could develop QBs. It is going to get really interesting in Baton Rouge to see if Jordan Jefferson can fend off exiled Bulldog Zach Mettenburger for QB1. In our "Way To Early" Top 10 for 2011 we've got LSU at #4 (don't tell anybody though because we haven't posted it yet. This is just a secret between me and you). If the LSU offense gets it going this year they will contend for the National Title. Even though this could be the pivotal coordinator hire of the year I still wish Les Miles would have hire Mike Leach to run the offense. Could you imagine the hijinks that would have ensued? It would have been reality TV worthy and I think it probably would have worked on the field too.
Recruiting and Oversigning
With NSD (National Signing Day) fast approaching recruiting is really heating up. The big news this week was former Texas commitment, 5-Star OL Christian Westerman, flipping his verbal commitment to the National Champion Auburn Tigers. Another big winner this week was Mark Richt and Georgia gaining commitments from teammates (and 4-Star prospects) TE Jay Rome and WR Malcolm Mitchell. We also had some indecision from ESPNU 150 (#90) DE Stephon Tuitt who flipped his commitment from Notre Dame to Georgia Tech and then back to Notre Dame. I'm sure he won't be the last guy to flip a commitment before NSD.
While recruiting is a crap shoot, there are still uncommitted guys that can come in and make an immediate impact for their teams and some fans made some noise this weekend to let these guys know that they are wanted. The first is ESPNU 150 #1 prospect DE Jadeveon Clowney. He's 6'6", 240 and looks like a monster on film. His list of finalists is Miami (Fl), Alabama, South Carolina, FSU and LSU. Clowney was at the South Carolina basketball game this weekend and the fans there treated him to some "We Want Clowney! We Want Clowney!" chants. Another uncommitted prospect is RB Isaiah Crowell. Crowell is down to Alabama and Georgia. Georgia just recently beat out Bama for Rome and Mitchell so it would really be an upset for Georgia to win out on 3 straight prospects from them (although Bama did land DE Xzavier Dickson, who was also considering Georgia, earlier this month). Crowell took his official visit to Georgia this weekend and he watched the Dawgs romp the Mississippi State Bulldogs in basketball and was treated to some chants of "I...sai ... ah!!" Some of my blog mates will tell you that recruiting is way too hyped and while I agree with them I also think that there are impact guys out there who can turn a program (just ask Auburn). I was born and raised in the south so college football is a 365 day sport here and we need something to talk about!
While we are on the subject of recruiting let's talk for a minute about oversigning. Teams are allowed to have 85 scholarship athletes on their team, with no more than 25 scholarship players enrolled per season (teams are allowed to have early-enrollees count against the previous year if the team was under 25 for that year). Despite these limits teams still over-sign and find ways to get themselves under the limit. Some athletes don't make the grades, some might flip their commitments at the last minute (see also: Da'Rick Rogers) and some are gray-shirted (which means that the recruit waits to enroll until December and then counts against the next year). Yet some teams are already over the limit of 25. Right now South Carolina is at 30 commitments and Arkansas is at 28. Others, like Alabama, Ole Miss and LSU are currently scheduled to be over their 85 scholarships by around 10. I will use an example to illustrate the big problem I have with oversigning. Last year OL Elliot Porter committed to LSU only to be told, WHEN HE ARRIVED ON CAMPUS, that they did not have a scholarship for him and they asked him to gray-shirt. Porter had committed to LSU in July and then didn't find out that they didn't have room until August of the next year. It's situations like this that make oversigning a big issue. The NCAA already has a limit of 25 so what they should do is just simply enforce that rule. Any team that signs over 25 recruits will have that number subtracted from the next years total. So if they sign 28 then that means that they only get 22 next year. Each team would also have the ability to "petition" the NCAA if something unforeseen happened (ex: coaching change, excessive injuries) that opened up extra scholarships and they could get an exemption to go over the 25. Those are just my thoughts on the issue.
A Farewell to Michigan
We found out this week that former starting QB for Michigan Tate Forcier will indeed transfer. You guys remember him, right? He was the starting QB for RichRod in 2009 (threw for over 2,000 yards as a freshman) before being passed by Denard Robinson. He was declared academically ineligible and missed Michigan's bowl game, but I don't think he was the reason the Wolverines got utterly destroyed by Mississippi State. Then there was a tug-of-war with whether he was going to transfer or not. Well, this week Tate tweeted his intentions saying that he wanted to stay but it was clear Michigan gave up on him. So now the questions are how quickly he can get back in good academic standing and where he will transfer to. In 2010 he was rated by ESPNU as #144 on their ESPNU 150. Ole Miss pops up in my head immediately. Houston Nutt loves him some transfer QB (see also: Jeremiah Masoli) so that could be a possibility (Ole Miss is +10 in oversigning right now but that doesn't seem to matter to Mr. Nutt). Stories are popping up that Montana is a potential landing spot for him but I'd prefer he stay in D-1 (Montana flirted with moving up to the FBS but decided not to do so) to see what he is capable of and if he can become a good starting QB for someone. He's from San Diego so somewhere on the left coast would be the most likely option (his brother Chris previously transferred from UCLA to Furman and before that his brother Jason transferred from Michigan to Stanford). If I was a coach in the WAC or the MWC I would seriously be looking at this kid.
Showing posts with label Texas Longhorns. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Texas Longhorns. Show all posts
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Five Questions: Big 12 Edition
What is the biggest surprise in the Big 12 so far?
Alex: By far it is Texas's fall. How many teams go from losing the national championship game to possibly being last in the conference?
J Martin: It has to be Texas' fall. I never bought into the Garrett Gilbert craze, never thought he was going to step in and be an instant superstar after he made a few good throws against Alabama in the BCS title game. I never bought into this idea that Texas was suddenly going to become a pro-style, power running team and not miss a beat on offense despite not having the personnel to do it. And yet I also never thought we'd be here in the 2nd week of November wondering if Texas was even going to make a bowl. That's shocking. With the talent and the coaches that the Longhorns have, they should never, ever, lose 5 games in a year. But here they are, sitting at 4-5, staring down the barrel of two more.
Kevin: Texas is a huge surprise but I think Okie State is just as surprising. In our pre-season preview we picked Okie State DOA and chose them to come in a tie for 5th with Baylor. Phil Steele picked them dead last in the Big 12 South calling it a rebuilding year. ESPN said they would finish in 5th and 7-5.
Ross: The rise of Baylor, the fall of Texas, and the continued (and even greater) success of Oklahoma State have all been pretty remarkable surprises, but I'd have to say the freefall of Texas been the biggest stunner. In hindsight, it wasn't totally crazy to see Baylor and Oklahoma State being good since they each returned an offensive star (RB Kendall Hunter for Okie State, QB Robert Griffin for Baylor), although it would have been nuts to project this much success for them. But Texas slumming it at 4-5 and in real danger of not even making a bowl? That's absurd to even contemplate -- especially after seeing them get so thoroughly and comprehensively beaten by UCLA, Iowa State, Baylor, and Kansas State. None of those losses were fluky in the slightest -- Texas just got completely outplayed. For that to happen with a team with such obvious talent (unless the recruiting services were wildly inaccurate) is mind blowing. Barring an unlikely turnaround, this is going to go down as one of the most sudden, surprising, and inexplicable collapses of a major program in recent history.
Who is the Big 12 Player of the Year so far?
Alex: Taylor Martinez is your PotY. Nebraska would be dead in the water amongst Colorado and Kansas had it not been for his surprise appearance at QB this season.
J Martin: Can I give it to 2 guys if they're on the same team? Statistically, it's Justin Blackmon at Oklahoma State. He's in the top 2 in receptions per game, receiving yards per game, and scoring. The latter of which he's done despite missing a game due to suspension. He makes big plays and he makes them often. However, I'd also have to give credit to his quarterback Brandon Weeden. Someone has to get Blackmon the ball, right? I think Weeden's emergence as a quality spread quarterback has been the biggest factor in OSU's rise from being declared DOA in most preseason publications to a Top 25 team and possible conference champion.
Kevin: This is a toss up between Kendall Hunter (1240 yds, 6.1 ypc, 14 TD) and his QB Brandon Wheedon (leds the Big 12 in passing yds, yds/attempt, TD, QB rating, etc).
Ross: Baylor QB Robert Griffin III. Without him, Baylor's a 2-3 win team rather than being a legitimate conference title contender. He's leading the conference in total yards (416 yards rushing, 2859 yards passing), has accounted for 27 touchdowns, and he's the unquestioned leader of that team. He's been incredible. Oklahoma State has the league leaders in passing (Brandon Weeden), rushing (Kendall Hunter), and receiving (Justin Blackmon), but their combined excellence works against identifying one of them as the singular best player in the league.
What is the most interesting game left on the Big 12 schedule?
J Martin: There are far too many interesting games left on the Big 12 schedule. Can I cheat and give two answers again? As of today, it's Oklahoma State vs. Texas. That's a huge swing game for Texas' bowl hopes. If they win, they're in. They'll easily top FAU the next week. But if they lose...the Texas vs. Texas A&M showdown on Thanksgiving gets bigger than it's been in years, with the Aggies getting the chance to send Texas home for the holidays. There's nothing more interesting than watching a national power fall on it's face (as I have learned the hard way).
Kevin: I've got Oklahoma/Oklahoma State because this is the game that the Big 12 South should come down to. Plus, it's in Stillwater which should make this very very interesting.
Ross: Oklahoma-Oklahoma State. Not only is it the annual "Bedlam" game and a heated rivalry between two top programs that's seen a few upsets in recent years, but it's likely to be the game that decides the Big 12 South race this year. The stakes should be very high for this game, which ought to make it awfully intense. There's also a lot of star power in this game, since you have arguably the Big 12's two best quarterbacks (Weeden and Landry Jones), two best running backs (Hunter and DeMarco Murray), and two best wide receivers (Blackmon and Ryan Broyles). This game has all the makings of a wild shootout between two high-powered, star-laden offenses, which should make for a pretty exciting affair.
Who wins the Big 12 South?
J Martin: I like Oklahoma State. Baylor is having a nice year, but it's hard to take them seriously as a legit title contender. Same with Texas A&M. And after the Sooners' loss to A&M, it's perfectly conceivable that they could slip up against Baylor or Texas Tech and take themselves out of the running before they get to Okie State. Meanwhile, unless Texas can muster another Nebraska-caliber effort this weekend, the Cowboys are playing a one-game season from this point forward. The odds are in their favor.
Kevin: Right now I'm leaning towards Okie State because they have the home-field advantage in the final game. Ask me again next week and the answer could be very different.
Ross: I think Oklahoma State edges Oklahoma on the basis of an easier schedule and home-field advantage in their season-ending clash. Texas is reeling and Kansas is dreadful, which should enable Okie State to get to 6-1. Oklahoma should be able to handle Texas Tech at home, but they've struggled on the road and Baylor will be very tricky. Assuming they get by that game, a season-ending road game against Oklahoma State looks pretty daunting, too. Baylor and Texas A&M are out of the running since Oklahoma State already has head-to-head wins over them and they'd need Okie State to drop TWO more games in their final three -- which doesn't seem likely.
Has Tommy Tuberville's debut season at Texas Tech been a success?
Alex: I say yes as it is hard to gage a coaches success rate over the first season. Texas Tech made a huge mistake when they fired (and not just reprimand) Leech. Tubbs needs his own players for his system and do remember he was on the way out of Auburn before exploding with 2 and 1/2 great seasons. He is holding his own, give him three more years before the axe comes crashing down at a school without any expectations.
J Martin: I think he's mostly succeeded at maintaining the status quo under Mike Leach (win 7-9 games consistently) while avoiding the meltdown that a lot of Tech fans feared when considering Tub's last foray into the spread offense. That was probably the best case scenario for this season.
Kevin: I wouldn't call it a "success" but it's not a failure. Tech should go 2-1 in their last 3 which would put them at 7-5. If he continually posts 7-5 then that's not what Tech wants but if he can build on this season then I think we can look back on it as a success.
Ross: If he can string together three more wins and close out at 8-4, it would be a pretty solid season. Anything less than that would be pretty disappointing. The wins over Baylor and Missouri are nice, but the losses are embarrassing, especially the games against Texas (in light of what they've become) and Iowa State (Tech collapsed in ugly fashion against them). Plus, this was a very vulnerable Big 12 and a favorable schedule for them -- no Nebraska, the worst Texas team in well over a decade, and an Oklahoma team that's good but not great -- so only mustering a 7-5 schedule with that would be pretty lackluster. 8-4 still wouldn't be great, but it would at least be palatable. Still, it's hard to look at this season and think that Mike Leach couldn't have done more -- and possibly led Texas Tech on the breakthrough season that Oklahoma State instead seems to be enjoying.
Alex: By far it is Texas's fall. How many teams go from losing the national championship game to possibly being last in the conference?
J Martin: It has to be Texas' fall. I never bought into the Garrett Gilbert craze, never thought he was going to step in and be an instant superstar after he made a few good throws against Alabama in the BCS title game. I never bought into this idea that Texas was suddenly going to become a pro-style, power running team and not miss a beat on offense despite not having the personnel to do it. And yet I also never thought we'd be here in the 2nd week of November wondering if Texas was even going to make a bowl. That's shocking. With the talent and the coaches that the Longhorns have, they should never, ever, lose 5 games in a year. But here they are, sitting at 4-5, staring down the barrel of two more.
Kevin: Texas is a huge surprise but I think Okie State is just as surprising. In our pre-season preview we picked Okie State DOA and chose them to come in a tie for 5th with Baylor. Phil Steele picked them dead last in the Big 12 South calling it a rebuilding year. ESPN said they would finish in 5th and 7-5.
Ross: The rise of Baylor, the fall of Texas, and the continued (and even greater) success of Oklahoma State have all been pretty remarkable surprises, but I'd have to say the freefall of Texas been the biggest stunner. In hindsight, it wasn't totally crazy to see Baylor and Oklahoma State being good since they each returned an offensive star (RB Kendall Hunter for Okie State, QB Robert Griffin for Baylor), although it would have been nuts to project this much success for them. But Texas slumming it at 4-5 and in real danger of not even making a bowl? That's absurd to even contemplate -- especially after seeing them get so thoroughly and comprehensively beaten by UCLA, Iowa State, Baylor, and Kansas State. None of those losses were fluky in the slightest -- Texas just got completely outplayed. For that to happen with a team with such obvious talent (unless the recruiting services were wildly inaccurate) is mind blowing. Barring an unlikely turnaround, this is going to go down as one of the most sudden, surprising, and inexplicable collapses of a major program in recent history.
Who is the Big 12 Player of the Year so far?
Alex: Taylor Martinez is your PotY. Nebraska would be dead in the water amongst Colorado and Kansas had it not been for his surprise appearance at QB this season.
J Martin: Can I give it to 2 guys if they're on the same team? Statistically, it's Justin Blackmon at Oklahoma State. He's in the top 2 in receptions per game, receiving yards per game, and scoring. The latter of which he's done despite missing a game due to suspension. He makes big plays and he makes them often. However, I'd also have to give credit to his quarterback Brandon Weeden. Someone has to get Blackmon the ball, right? I think Weeden's emergence as a quality spread quarterback has been the biggest factor in OSU's rise from being declared DOA in most preseason publications to a Top 25 team and possible conference champion.
Kevin: This is a toss up between Kendall Hunter (1240 yds, 6.1 ypc, 14 TD) and his QB Brandon Wheedon (leds the Big 12 in passing yds, yds/attempt, TD, QB rating, etc).
Ross: Baylor QB Robert Griffin III. Without him, Baylor's a 2-3 win team rather than being a legitimate conference title contender. He's leading the conference in total yards (416 yards rushing, 2859 yards passing), has accounted for 27 touchdowns, and he's the unquestioned leader of that team. He's been incredible. Oklahoma State has the league leaders in passing (Brandon Weeden), rushing (Kendall Hunter), and receiving (Justin Blackmon), but their combined excellence works against identifying one of them as the singular best player in the league.
What is the most interesting game left on the Big 12 schedule?
J Martin: There are far too many interesting games left on the Big 12 schedule. Can I cheat and give two answers again? As of today, it's Oklahoma State vs. Texas. That's a huge swing game for Texas' bowl hopes. If they win, they're in. They'll easily top FAU the next week. But if they lose...the Texas vs. Texas A&M showdown on Thanksgiving gets bigger than it's been in years, with the Aggies getting the chance to send Texas home for the holidays. There's nothing more interesting than watching a national power fall on it's face (as I have learned the hard way).
Kevin: I've got Oklahoma/Oklahoma State because this is the game that the Big 12 South should come down to. Plus, it's in Stillwater which should make this very very interesting.
Ross: Oklahoma-Oklahoma State. Not only is it the annual "Bedlam" game and a heated rivalry between two top programs that's seen a few upsets in recent years, but it's likely to be the game that decides the Big 12 South race this year. The stakes should be very high for this game, which ought to make it awfully intense. There's also a lot of star power in this game, since you have arguably the Big 12's two best quarterbacks (Weeden and Landry Jones), two best running backs (Hunter and DeMarco Murray), and two best wide receivers (Blackmon and Ryan Broyles). This game has all the makings of a wild shootout between two high-powered, star-laden offenses, which should make for a pretty exciting affair.
Who wins the Big 12 South?
J Martin: I like Oklahoma State. Baylor is having a nice year, but it's hard to take them seriously as a legit title contender. Same with Texas A&M. And after the Sooners' loss to A&M, it's perfectly conceivable that they could slip up against Baylor or Texas Tech and take themselves out of the running before they get to Okie State. Meanwhile, unless Texas can muster another Nebraska-caliber effort this weekend, the Cowboys are playing a one-game season from this point forward. The odds are in their favor.
Kevin: Right now I'm leaning towards Okie State because they have the home-field advantage in the final game. Ask me again next week and the answer could be very different.
Ross: I think Oklahoma State edges Oklahoma on the basis of an easier schedule and home-field advantage in their season-ending clash. Texas is reeling and Kansas is dreadful, which should enable Okie State to get to 6-1. Oklahoma should be able to handle Texas Tech at home, but they've struggled on the road and Baylor will be very tricky. Assuming they get by that game, a season-ending road game against Oklahoma State looks pretty daunting, too. Baylor and Texas A&M are out of the running since Oklahoma State already has head-to-head wins over them and they'd need Okie State to drop TWO more games in their final three -- which doesn't seem likely.
Has Tommy Tuberville's debut season at Texas Tech been a success?
Alex: I say yes as it is hard to gage a coaches success rate over the first season. Texas Tech made a huge mistake when they fired (and not just reprimand) Leech. Tubbs needs his own players for his system and do remember he was on the way out of Auburn before exploding with 2 and 1/2 great seasons. He is holding his own, give him three more years before the axe comes crashing down at a school without any expectations.
J Martin: I think he's mostly succeeded at maintaining the status quo under Mike Leach (win 7-9 games consistently) while avoiding the meltdown that a lot of Tech fans feared when considering Tub's last foray into the spread offense. That was probably the best case scenario for this season.
Kevin: I wouldn't call it a "success" but it's not a failure. Tech should go 2-1 in their last 3 which would put them at 7-5. If he continually posts 7-5 then that's not what Tech wants but if he can build on this season then I think we can look back on it as a success.
Ross: If he can string together three more wins and close out at 8-4, it would be a pretty solid season. Anything less than that would be pretty disappointing. The wins over Baylor and Missouri are nice, but the losses are embarrassing, especially the games against Texas (in light of what they've become) and Iowa State (Tech collapsed in ugly fashion against them). Plus, this was a very vulnerable Big 12 and a favorable schedule for them -- no Nebraska, the worst Texas team in well over a decade, and an Oklahoma team that's good but not great -- so only mustering a 7-5 schedule with that would be pretty lackluster. 8-4 still wouldn't be great, but it would at least be palatable. Still, it's hard to look at this season and think that Mike Leach couldn't have done more -- and possibly led Texas Tech on the breakthrough season that Oklahoma State instead seems to be enjoying.
Friday, October 1, 2010
The Six Pack Games of the Week: October 2
Every week, I’ll throw a spotlight on the six most interesting games of the weekend to tell you why these are the games you should try to catch, who’s going to win (and why), and what ramifications they could have on the rest of the college football landscape.
LAST WEEK: 4-2
OVERALL: 16-8
#21 Texas (3-1) vs. #8 Oklahoma (4-0) (@ Dallas, TX) (3:30pm EST, ABC/ESPN2)
For the second-straight year, one of these teams enters the game with a loss; a year ago it was an injury-ravaged Oklahoma team limping into Dallas with injuries to Jermaine Gresham, Sam Bradford (who returned for that game only to get reinjured), and a host of other players, as well as a pair of losses to BYU and Miami. This year, Texas can't point to any injuries as the source of their malaise, but after stumbling through less-than-impressive wins over the likes of Rice and Wyoming, the Longhorns finally spit the bit in a home meltdown to UCLA a week ago. Frailties both old (their disjointed offense and non-existent running game) and new (a surprisingly porous run defense) were exposed by the Bruins -- and the Sooners will no doubt have been taking notes. Then again, they haven't exactly been running a train on their opposition thus far, either, they're 4-0 but that's included some skin-of-their-teeth wins over Air Force, Cincinnati, and (somehow) Utah State... as well as an incongruous massacre of Florida State sandwiched in-between those games. This game figures to pit strength against strength (Oklahoma's oft-explosive offense against Texas' typically immovable defense) and weakness against weakness (Oklahoma's porous defense against Texas' terminally inconsistent offense). One of those battles will likely cancel out, so the team that can win the other battle (whichever it happens to be) should come out on top. Texas' problems thus far have seemed more troubling, so let's ride the Sooners here.
THE PICK: OKLAHOMA 27, TEXAS 20
#11 Wisconsin (4-0) at #24 Michigan State (4-0) (3:30pm EST, ABC/ESPN2)
Both teams are 4-0, but they haven't really been tested that much -- they beat up on some MAC/WAC/Sun Belt-level opposition (and beat the holy piss out of some I-AA squads last week) and scraped by their one "real" opponent by the skin of their teeth (Wisco needed a blocked XP to beat Arizona State, while Michigan State needed that awesome fake field goal to beat Notre Dame in OT). It's also unclear how good or bad their "real" opponents are -- Arizona State's only two losses are to two top 10-ish teams (Wisco and Oregon) and they could have won both if Steven Threet could have stopped being Steven Threet for a few plays, while Notre Dame's three losses are to teams that are a combined 12-0. Wisco got a lot more preseason love than Sparty, but they looked sluggish until they opened up a can of whup-ass on Austin Peay. Michigan State has developed a really balanced offense and has some very good defensive players (like LBs Greg Jones and Eric Gordon, to name a few guys)... although their secondary can be shredded (just ask Dayne Crist and the Domers). I think Sparty has a really good shot to pull off the upset here, as long as they're not looking ahead to next week's big showdown with Michigan.
THE PICK: MICHIGAN STATE 34, WISCONSIN 31
Virginia Tech (2-2) at #23 North Carolina State (4-0) (3:30pm EST, ABC)
Raise your hand if you had NC State pegged to be atop the ACC. Lower your hand if you're an alum or a relative of one of the players. If your hand is still raised, you're a goddamn liar. But it's the ACC so the only reasonable expectation is for the unexpected to reign. This is a league where Wake Forest was champion as recently as four years ago; there is no brand of madness too mad for them (except maybe Duke going undefeated and playing for the crystal football -- that's just stupid talk) In any event, now that Virginia Tech has escaped the cruel clutches of foes from the WAC and CAA, they're rounding into their usual form for ACC season: a punishing defense (they shut out Boston College 19-0 a week ago) married to a "just enough to get by" offense (again, just 19 points a week ago). NC State survived a road trip to UCF (28-21), then zipped by supposed tests against Cincinnati (30-19) and Georgia Tech (45-28). As always, a belief in ACChaos is our guiding light here; the question is which team is more chaos-friendly? VT is the traditional bet in the ACC, so let's throw our chips in against 'em. Just because. ACChaos means we'll likely be proven wrong (again).
THE PICK: NC STATE 27, VIRGINIA TECH 20
#22 Penn State (3-1) at #17 Iowa (3-1) (8:05pm EST, ESPN)
I'm not going to lie and pretend I'm not a bit biased about this one... but it has been a really good game more often than not. Going back to 2000, the game's only been decided by more than a touchdown three times (2003, 2007, and last year, although that was a closer game than the 21-10 score indicated) and four games have been decided in the final minutes or OT. Sometimes it's an ugly, defensive slog (2004 and the infamous 6-4 game or last year's rain-soaked showdown), but they're usually exciting, intense games. It's turning into a pretty healthy rivalry and I'm a little sad that the Big Ten's new divisional format will probably lead to the game being played less often than it is now. As far as this game, it's the reversed situation from the last few years, when Penn State went into the game as the favorite with big dreams; Iowa's favored in this one. Most of the match-ups favor them (especially their defensive line versus PSU's offensive line), but that doesn't always mean a lot in this series. I understand if most people aren't watching this one -- it is on the same time as Florida-Bama and Oregon-Stanford after all -- but it should be worth flipping to during commercial breaks or at timeouts. Penn State has some solid players on both sides of the ball, but for the most part they're in rebuilding mode this season, while this is a season Iowa has been building to for a few years. Barring another special teams meltdown, Iowa should win this one.
THE PICK: IOWA 27, PENN STATE 13
#9 Stanford (4-0) at #4 Oregon (4-0) (8:00pm EST, ABC/ESPN2)
What do we expect out of this one? Points, points, and, oh yeah, more points. A year ago, Stanford won this game 51-42 and there isn't a whole lot of reason to expect differently from this game: Oregon's offense and its ridiculous almost point-a-minute scoring rate barely seems to have skipped a beat without Jeremiah Masoli at the helm and Stanford's offense has been bulldozing opponents even without the Albino Rhino (Toby Gerhart) keying the attack. NFL #1 draft pick-to-be Andrew Luck is leading the way for a balanced offense and the overlooked defense is looking pretty solid, too: they shut out the UCLA team that went into Austin and picked up 34 points and a win last week and they made mincemeat out of Notre Dame, too.
This game is also intriguing for the contrast in styles; Stanford just wants to line up and smash you in the mouth over and over again, while Oregon wants to use speed and misdirection to slice you to ribbons. Neither team has faced an offense as potent as the one they'll be facing on Saturday night. It's tough to distinguish between these two evenly-matched teams, but Stanford seems to have done better against slightly stronger competition (that UCLA win gets better and better) and Oregon did have trouble stopping what was suppsoed to be a mediocre Arizona State offense a week ago (at least until Steven Threet gifted them with turnover after turnover to end promising drives). The atmosphere in Autzen will be insane, but for now give us the team that likes to punch and get punched.
THE PICK: STANFORD 38, OREGON 34
#7 Florida (4-0) at #1 Alabama (4-0) (8:00pm EST, CBS)
One of these teams has (mostly) looked like a juggernaut, rolling through overmatched opponents and pummeling sad sack opponents. The other... has not. Alabama cruised through their early games, then faced their stiffest test yet in a road game at Arkansas, where they fell behind 17-7 at halftime and 20-7 late in the third quarter, before their brutally tough running game and an opportunistic defense (aided and abetted by Ryan Mallett's awful implosion) took over in the fourth quarter. On one hand, their failings in that game could be construed as a sign of weakness; on the other, their ability to battle back is impressive... and they aren't going to face many quarterbacks or passing offenses good enough to exploit the weaknesses in their secondary. The question this week is: can Florida do it? Their moribund offense woke up last week behind the Tebow-esque rhinoceros runs of Trey Burton, but doing that against Kentucky is one thing; doing that against Alabama's defense is another matter entirely.
Additionally, there's been a lot of hype for this game as the third part of the epic Bama-Florida trilogy that began with the last two SEC Championship Games, which seems a bit unfair. There was a great deal of similarity between the Florida and Alabama squads that tangled in those title games, but this year's been a ton of turnover on both sides for this game, with Alabama losing basically their entire starting defense and Florida losing huge swaths of players on both sides of the ball (including some guy named Tim). What happened in those two SEC title games probably isn't going to mean a whole lot for this particular game. As for this game... I don't really believe the Florida offense has truly turned a corner just because they lit up Kentucky and while the Florida defense will make some big plays and keep the game close for a while, I don't think they can withstand the punishment for an entire game.
THE PICK: ALABAMA 24, FLORIDA 14
LAST WEEK: 4-2
OVERALL: 16-8
#21 Texas (3-1) vs. #8 Oklahoma (4-0) (@ Dallas, TX) (3:30pm EST, ABC/ESPN2)
For the second-straight year, one of these teams enters the game with a loss; a year ago it was an injury-ravaged Oklahoma team limping into Dallas with injuries to Jermaine Gresham, Sam Bradford (who returned for that game only to get reinjured), and a host of other players, as well as a pair of losses to BYU and Miami. This year, Texas can't point to any injuries as the source of their malaise, but after stumbling through less-than-impressive wins over the likes of Rice and Wyoming, the Longhorns finally spit the bit in a home meltdown to UCLA a week ago. Frailties both old (their disjointed offense and non-existent running game) and new (a surprisingly porous run defense) were exposed by the Bruins -- and the Sooners will no doubt have been taking notes. Then again, they haven't exactly been running a train on their opposition thus far, either, they're 4-0 but that's included some skin-of-their-teeth wins over Air Force, Cincinnati, and (somehow) Utah State... as well as an incongruous massacre of Florida State sandwiched in-between those games. This game figures to pit strength against strength (Oklahoma's oft-explosive offense against Texas' typically immovable defense) and weakness against weakness (Oklahoma's porous defense against Texas' terminally inconsistent offense). One of those battles will likely cancel out, so the team that can win the other battle (whichever it happens to be) should come out on top. Texas' problems thus far have seemed more troubling, so let's ride the Sooners here.
THE PICK: OKLAHOMA 27, TEXAS 20
#11 Wisconsin (4-0) at #24 Michigan State (4-0) (3:30pm EST, ABC/ESPN2)
Both teams are 4-0, but they haven't really been tested that much -- they beat up on some MAC/WAC/Sun Belt-level opposition (and beat the holy piss out of some I-AA squads last week) and scraped by their one "real" opponent by the skin of their teeth (Wisco needed a blocked XP to beat Arizona State, while Michigan State needed that awesome fake field goal to beat Notre Dame in OT). It's also unclear how good or bad their "real" opponents are -- Arizona State's only two losses are to two top 10-ish teams (Wisco and Oregon) and they could have won both if Steven Threet could have stopped being Steven Threet for a few plays, while Notre Dame's three losses are to teams that are a combined 12-0. Wisco got a lot more preseason love than Sparty, but they looked sluggish until they opened up a can of whup-ass on Austin Peay. Michigan State has developed a really balanced offense and has some very good defensive players (like LBs Greg Jones and Eric Gordon, to name a few guys)... although their secondary can be shredded (just ask Dayne Crist and the Domers). I think Sparty has a really good shot to pull off the upset here, as long as they're not looking ahead to next week's big showdown with Michigan.
THE PICK: MICHIGAN STATE 34, WISCONSIN 31
Virginia Tech (2-2) at #23 North Carolina State (4-0) (3:30pm EST, ABC)
Raise your hand if you had NC State pegged to be atop the ACC. Lower your hand if you're an alum or a relative of one of the players. If your hand is still raised, you're a goddamn liar. But it's the ACC so the only reasonable expectation is for the unexpected to reign. This is a league where Wake Forest was champion as recently as four years ago; there is no brand of madness too mad for them (except maybe Duke going undefeated and playing for the crystal football -- that's just stupid talk) In any event, now that Virginia Tech has escaped the cruel clutches of foes from the WAC and CAA, they're rounding into their usual form for ACC season: a punishing defense (they shut out Boston College 19-0 a week ago) married to a "just enough to get by" offense (again, just 19 points a week ago). NC State survived a road trip to UCF (28-21), then zipped by supposed tests against Cincinnati (30-19) and Georgia Tech (45-28). As always, a belief in ACChaos is our guiding light here; the question is which team is more chaos-friendly? VT is the traditional bet in the ACC, so let's throw our chips in against 'em. Just because. ACChaos means we'll likely be proven wrong (again).
THE PICK: NC STATE 27, VIRGINIA TECH 20
#22 Penn State (3-1) at #17 Iowa (3-1) (8:05pm EST, ESPN)
I'm not going to lie and pretend I'm not a bit biased about this one... but it has been a really good game more often than not. Going back to 2000, the game's only been decided by more than a touchdown three times (2003, 2007, and last year, although that was a closer game than the 21-10 score indicated) and four games have been decided in the final minutes or OT. Sometimes it's an ugly, defensive slog (2004 and the infamous 6-4 game or last year's rain-soaked showdown), but they're usually exciting, intense games. It's turning into a pretty healthy rivalry and I'm a little sad that the Big Ten's new divisional format will probably lead to the game being played less often than it is now. As far as this game, it's the reversed situation from the last few years, when Penn State went into the game as the favorite with big dreams; Iowa's favored in this one. Most of the match-ups favor them (especially their defensive line versus PSU's offensive line), but that doesn't always mean a lot in this series. I understand if most people aren't watching this one -- it is on the same time as Florida-Bama and Oregon-Stanford after all -- but it should be worth flipping to during commercial breaks or at timeouts. Penn State has some solid players on both sides of the ball, but for the most part they're in rebuilding mode this season, while this is a season Iowa has been building to for a few years. Barring another special teams meltdown, Iowa should win this one.
THE PICK: IOWA 27, PENN STATE 13
#9 Stanford (4-0) at #4 Oregon (4-0) (8:00pm EST, ABC/ESPN2)
What do we expect out of this one? Points, points, and, oh yeah, more points. A year ago, Stanford won this game 51-42 and there isn't a whole lot of reason to expect differently from this game: Oregon's offense and its ridiculous almost point-a-minute scoring rate barely seems to have skipped a beat without Jeremiah Masoli at the helm and Stanford's offense has been bulldozing opponents even without the Albino Rhino (Toby Gerhart) keying the attack. NFL #1 draft pick-to-be Andrew Luck is leading the way for a balanced offense and the overlooked defense is looking pretty solid, too: they shut out the UCLA team that went into Austin and picked up 34 points and a win last week and they made mincemeat out of Notre Dame, too.
This game is also intriguing for the contrast in styles; Stanford just wants to line up and smash you in the mouth over and over again, while Oregon wants to use speed and misdirection to slice you to ribbons. Neither team has faced an offense as potent as the one they'll be facing on Saturday night. It's tough to distinguish between these two evenly-matched teams, but Stanford seems to have done better against slightly stronger competition (that UCLA win gets better and better) and Oregon did have trouble stopping what was suppsoed to be a mediocre Arizona State offense a week ago (at least until Steven Threet gifted them with turnover after turnover to end promising drives). The atmosphere in Autzen will be insane, but for now give us the team that likes to punch and get punched.
THE PICK: STANFORD 38, OREGON 34
#7 Florida (4-0) at #1 Alabama (4-0) (8:00pm EST, CBS)
One of these teams has (mostly) looked like a juggernaut, rolling through overmatched opponents and pummeling sad sack opponents. The other... has not. Alabama cruised through their early games, then faced their stiffest test yet in a road game at Arkansas, where they fell behind 17-7 at halftime and 20-7 late in the third quarter, before their brutally tough running game and an opportunistic defense (aided and abetted by Ryan Mallett's awful implosion) took over in the fourth quarter. On one hand, their failings in that game could be construed as a sign of weakness; on the other, their ability to battle back is impressive... and they aren't going to face many quarterbacks or passing offenses good enough to exploit the weaknesses in their secondary. The question this week is: can Florida do it? Their moribund offense woke up last week behind the Tebow-esque rhinoceros runs of Trey Burton, but doing that against Kentucky is one thing; doing that against Alabama's defense is another matter entirely.
Additionally, there's been a lot of hype for this game as the third part of the epic Bama-Florida trilogy that began with the last two SEC Championship Games, which seems a bit unfair. There was a great deal of similarity between the Florida and Alabama squads that tangled in those title games, but this year's been a ton of turnover on both sides for this game, with Alabama losing basically their entire starting defense and Florida losing huge swaths of players on both sides of the ball (including some guy named Tim). What happened in those two SEC title games probably isn't going to mean a whole lot for this particular game. As for this game... I don't really believe the Florida offense has truly turned a corner just because they lit up Kentucky and while the Florida defense will make some big plays and keep the game close for a while, I don't think they can withstand the punishment for an entire game.
THE PICK: ALABAMA 24, FLORIDA 14
Friday, August 27, 2010
Big 12 Preview
2009 Standings
North
Nebraska Cornhuskers 10-4 (6-2)
Missouri Tigers 8-5 (4-4)
Kansas State Wildcats 6-6 (4-4)
Iowa State Cyclones 7-6 (3-5)
Colorado Buffaloes 3-9 (2-6)
Kansas Jayhawks 5-7 (1-7)
South
Texas Longhorns 13-1 (8-0)
Oklahoma State Cowboys 9-4 (6-2)
Texas Tech Red Raiders 9-4 (5-3)
Oklahoma Sooners 8-5 (5-3)
Texas A&M Aggies 6-7 (3-5)
Baylor Bears 4-8 (1-7)
Big 12 Championship Game: Texas 13 Nebraska 12
Returning Leaders: Passing
Blaine Gabbert, Missouri, Jr (262 of 445 for 3593, 24 TD, 9 INT)
Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M, Sr (296 of 497 for 3579, 30 TD, 8 INT)
Taylor Potts, Texas Tech, Sr (309 of 470 for 3440, 22 TD, 13 INT)
Landry Jones, Oklahoma, Soph (261 of 449 for 3198, 26 TD, 14 INT)
Zac Lee, Nebraska, Sr (177 of 302 for 2143, 14 TD, 10 INT)
Returning Leaders: Rushing
Daniel Thomas, Kansas St, Sr (247 carries for 1265 yds, 11 TD)
Alexander Robinson, Iowa St, Sr (231 carries for 1193 yds, 5 TD)
Roy Helu, Nebraska, Sr (220 carries for 1147 yds, 10 TD)
Baron Batch, Texas Tech, Sr (168 carries for 884 yds, 14 TD)
Derrick Washington, Missouri, Sr (190 carries for 865 yds, 10 TD)
Returning Leaders: Receiving
Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma, Jr (89 rec for 1120 yds, 15 TD)
Scotty McKnight, Colorado, Sr (76 rec for 893 yds, 6 TD)
Alexander Torres, Texas Tech, Sr (67 rec for 806 yds, 6 TD)
Kendall Wright, Baylor, Jr (66 rec for 740 yds, 4 TD)
Detron Lewis, Texas Tech, Sr (65 rec for 844 yds, 6 TD)
Returning Leaders: Tackles
Travis Lewis, Oklahoma, Jr, LB (108 total, 8.3 tackles/game)
Trent Hunter, Texas A&M, Jr, S (95 total, 7.3 tackles/game)
Quinton Carter, Oklahoma, Sr, S (88 total, 6.7 tackles/game)
Drew Dudley, Kansas, Sr, LB (88 total, 7.3 tackles/game)
David Sims, Iowa State, Sr, S (88 total, 6.7 tackles/game)
Returning Leaders: Sacks
Von Miller, Texas A&M, Sr, LB (16.5 sacks)
Aldon Smith, Missouri, Soph, DE (11.5)
Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma, Sr (11.0)
Jared Crick, Nebraska, Jr (9.5)
Sam Acho, Texas, Sr (7.0)
Returning Leaders: Interceptions
Blake Gideon, Texas, Jr, S (6 interceptions)
Tysyn Hartman, Kansas St, Jr, S (5)
David Sims, Iowa State, Sr, S (5)
Prince Amukamara, Nebraska, CB (5)
BREAKING DOWN THE BIG 12 WITH THE ZEALOTS
Baylor Bears
Chris (Projection: #5 in South): So much is the effect of having Robert Griffin III back in a Bears uniform after his injury, that his presence alone helps them to jump Oklahoma St. and lead the team towards a quasi-relevant state. Now just remember he's only a sophomore.
Ross (Projection: #5 in South): They're the feel good story of the Big 12, between their long bowl drought and the fact that QB Robert Griffin is one of the most exciting players in college football -- or was, anyway, before he blew out his knee last year. Time will tell if he's able to regain his breathtaking pre-injury form. To get to a bowl this year, they're going to need to put up a ton of points, given all the holes they have on defense; good thing they return a slew of players on offense and get Griffin back to run the show. Really, their season is going to rise or fall on the condition of Griffin's knee; if he's all the way back, their offense should be very good and he may be able to lead them to six wins and the promised land of a bowl game. If he's not all the way back, it's probably another disappointing season in Waco.
Colorado Buffaloes
Ross (Projection: #4 in North): Dan Hawkins somehow survived to face another year as Colorado's head coach, but at least he has a lot of returning starters with him to try and get things turned around (or just send him out on a high note). They have ten back on offense (everyone but the TE) and seven back on defense (3/4 of the defensive line and secondary), so if Hawkins is ever going to get anything going at Colorado, it's probably going to be now. Too bad the schedule is such a bear: Georgia and Cal should be difficult challenges in the non-conference slate and the Big 12 road games are so challenging (Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska), it's hard to see them winning even one of those. 4-4 in the Big 12 might be a solid accomplishment for this team.
Chris (Projection: #3 in North): Dan Hawkins was supposed to revitalize Colorado Buffalo football. That was what he was brought in for. But 4 years and a 16-33 record later, it's apparent that the only reason he is still there is that he is too expensive to buy out for the Colorado Athletic Department. The real interesting this is that he finally decided to bench his son and make the dinner table at the Hawkins house a little more awkward. Although, he could be just trying to improve his son's life expectancy by getting him out of the way of charging defensive linemen that were allowed to pray on Buffalo QB's to the tune of 44 sacks last year. In all fairness, I do think this is the year Hawkins turns it around...a little. Why wouldn't it be with a team returning 15 starters and 7 in an above average D a year ago. Their schedule doesn't do them any favors in the record department, so I don't think they'll be going bowling, but it's so strong that it can prepare them for conference play.
Iowa State Cyclones
Chris (Projection: #5 in North): To be honest, this is again a case of little separation between the Cyclones and the Wildcats. Quarterback Austin Arnaud may be the difference between last and next to last for the Cyclones, as they return 7 other offensive starters around him. The real issue is that their suspect defense has a lot of new faces on it, so the offense will have to be on it's game week in and week out to keep from falling into the Big 12 North dungeon.
Ross (Projection: #6 in North): They return plenty on offense (starters at QB, RB, WR, and 3/5 of the OL), but returning just four starters on defense is going to put a lot of pressure on new faces to step up and stop the Big 12's many potent offenses. But the biggest problem is a schedule that puts Texas, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech on the slate (not to mention challenging non-conference games against Iowa, Utah, and Northern Illinois), brings Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri to Ames and sends them to Colorado (trickier than it seems) for a road game. That schedule is just too daunting to see them amassing too many wins in 2010.
Kansas Jayhawks
Ross (Projection: #3 in North): There's a fair amount back on offense (7 players, including the entire offensive line), but there are a few glaring holes: namely, QB Todd Reesing, a multi-year starter, and his favorite targets, WR Dez Briscoe and WR Kerry Meier; that's a lot of production for the offense to replace. The defense returns six starters, so there are even more holes to fill on that side of the ball, but the schedule should help new coach Turner Gill get off to a hot start. They draw Baylor, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma State from the Big 12 South and their only really tough road game looks like a trip to Lincoln to take on Nebraska.
Chris (Projection: #4 in North): Never in my life have I seen a college football team go from so hot to so cold like Kansas did a year ago. After winning their first 5, the Jayhawks dropped their last 7, including a puzzling couple of decisions from the Mangino-man (who should now be able to successfully launch his career as the next Jared for Subway) that showed he knew he was on the way out and truly didn't care about his job anymore. Mangino sure picked the right time to leave though (well actually, by picked I mean he was fired), as Todd Reesing and the team built around him is now Kale Pick's team. Who? Yeah, that's the successor to Reesing. No offense to Turner Gill, but I think this team, with all the bad that Mangino left behind, will be too much of a project to turn around in one year...especially when only returning 11 starters.
Kansas State Wildcats
Ross (Projection: #5 in North): A team that was already lacking in talent now has to deal with returning just five starters on offense and six on defense; that's going to be tricky. With 4/5 of the offensive line back and a talented workhorse running back in Daniel Thomas, it's pretty clear what K-State is going to do on offense: run run and then run some more. The last thing a rebuilding and inexperienced team needs is a schedule short on easy home games, but that's exactly what K-State has: just three true home games (a fourth home game is in Kansas City against Iowa State) and they're against Texas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma State. Winning either the Texas or Nebraska games is going to be very challenging, which is going to put a lot of pressure on a young team to pick up some wins on the road.
Chris (Projection: #6 in North): The Wildcats were 108th in the nation in passing a year ago, a stat that is likely to even fall further without a returning starter at receiver, tight end or quarterback. They will rely on Daniel Thomas and hope that a revamped defense which was very strong from a year ago will keep them in the Big 12 chase. But that's an awful lot of if's, and it is my belief that Kansas St. will become too one dimensional on offense and opponents will be quick to catch on.
Missouri Tigers
Chris (Projection: #2 in North): Anyone who thought that Mizzou was going to take a step back after Chase Daniel left was rudely awakened when they dismantled (but that word doesn't even do it justice) the fresh off a BCS bowl bid Illinois 37-9 in week 1. From that point on, Blaine Gabbert and Derrick Washington put on an offensive clinic. Guess what? They're back! Both of them. Big 12 D-coordinators will not sleep before their matchup with Missouri...or after them either. I believe in Missouri so much that if any other team not named Nebraska (okay, so not ANY other team, but the list of teams that would make me change that statement is short) was in their division, I would take them to win it.
Ross (Projection: #2 in North): Nebraska is the odds-on favorite in the B12 North, but if anyone can give them a run, it's Missouri, who returns eight starters on offense and defense, including returning stars at QB (Blaine Gabbert) and RB (Derrick Washington) and most of their offensive line and their entire defensive secondary. So the talent appears to be there. The schedule is challenging, though: they have a five-game stretch in the middle of the season (Colorado, @ Texas A&M, Oklahoma, @ Nebraska, @ Texas Tech) that could derail things.
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Chris (Projection: #1 in North): The Huskers were seconds away from a BCS bowl and an upset of the national runner-up, and seconds from an upset of a Virginia Tech team that won 10 games as well. That accounted for half of their losses a year ago. Back are 9 players on offense from a struggling unit a year ago, including their leading passer, rusher, and receiver. Also back is a strong core of 6 starters on a top-10 defense only led by one of the game's top defensive minds. The Huskers are primed for success this season and to follow up on their 2009 campaign to prove that it wasn't a fluke. Newsflash: It wasn't. If the Huskers can hold off the Tigers, they'll be heading to the Big 12 ship.
Ross (Projection: #1 in North): Losing Ndamukong Suh is unquestionably a massive blow to the defense and the entire team, but they have some other NFL-ready defensive stars (Jared Crick, Pierre Allen, Prince Amukamara) ready to step up and keep the defense as one of the top defenses in the league (and nation). Nine guys are back on an offense that was utterly wretched a year ago; hopefully another year of experience will allow them to blossom into, at least, competence. The Texas game is a lynchpin to their season and a win could springboard them to big things. Regardless, it's nigh-impossible to see anyone in the Big 12 North challenging them.
Oklahoma Sooners
Chris (Projection: #1 in South): The good news is that if Oklahoma somehow gives this race away, quarterback Landry Jones will be a shoe in for the 30th annual America's worst facial hair award. The bad news for the Big 12 South is that is unlikely to happen. Expect DeMarco Murray to absolutely DOMINATE the Big 12 this year en route to the conference's Offensive Player of the Year award. Just like Texas they don't bring a lot back, but just like Texas (or at least much like Texas) Oklahoma recruits seem to deliver in the clutch (unlike their coach Bob Stoops). The Sooners are ready to put behind them a year where their universe was turned upside down...and I think they will do it.
Ross (Projection: #2 in South): The loss of Bradford and Gresham so early last year meant that Oklahoma had to get a headstart on the post-Bradford/Gresham era, which should give them an advantage heading into this year. Landry Jones took his lumps as Bradford's replacement a year ago, but he came on strong at the end of the year and a full off-season of practice should have him ready to become the next incredibly prolific Oklahoma QB. They return a ton of other starters on offense, and while the defense needs a lot of patching up, defense tends to be Stoops' specialty. The bigger concern is the schedule, which includes some challenging non-conference games (Florida State, Air Force, and Cincinnati) and only three conference home games (since the Texas game is at the Cotton Bowl). Then again, if Oklahoma can get by Texas, there's no reason not to think that they could run the table in the Big 12.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Chris (Projection: #6 in South): Long season ahead for the Pokes...you know, full of things like Mike Gundy rants, and losing to Oklahoma, and being back at the bottom of the Big 12 totem pole. I'm sorry if nobody else sees it, but returning only 5 starters in this league lands you here. If you don't agree with me GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT! IT MAKES ME WANT TO PUKE!
Ross (Projection: #6 in South): This year we'll find out how well Mike Gundy has recruited since turning 40. They lost a ton of proven talent on offense and defense; until they show us how well they can replace guys like Zac Robinson, Dez Bryant, and Russell Okung, it's reasonable to be skeptical of their prospects in 2010.
Texas Longhorns
Chris (Projection: #2 in South): I was SO close to giving this spot to Texas A&M, but just couldn't bring myself to it. That defense is horrid, no matter how many starters they return. Still if Texas' young squad should leave the door open for Jerrod Johnson to work his magic, you could see the Aggies overtaking the Horns in the standings. But, instead I'll go with conventional wisdom and say that the A&M defense will still be bad (you can't make THAT drastic of an improvement in one year), and I'll trust Mack Brown's recruits on getting the job done. What reason do we not have to trust this guy? He delivers!
Ross (Projection: #1 in South): The offense needs to be totally rebuilt and they lost some key performers on defense, too -- so why pick them to win the South? Like all the other elite teams, they reload and with Muschamp running the defense, it's pretty likely that he'll have another very good unit on the field. The offense is more of a question mark, but Garrett Gilbert is plenty talented (as he showed in the second half of the BCS title game last year). The best thing Texas has going for them is their schedule, which is paper-thin: they play only three true road games all year (@ Texas Tech, @ Nebraska, @ Kansas State) and it's really a two-game schedule (vs. Nebraska and Oklahoma). A split in those games and 11-1, 7-1 in the Big 12 looks very possible.
Texas A&M Aggies
Chris (Projection: #3 in South): Jerodd Johnson is one of the nation's best players, and he'll get to show his skills with a lot of skill position talent around him. However, there are two concerns at A&M. One, the new offensive tackles are both freshmen! Yikes! Johnson will have to use his athletic ability to evade pressure early on. Also, a defense that was just absolutely pathetic a year ago returns 10 starters but just like Callahan Brake Pads, won't offer you any guarantee. To me that spells Texas A&M in third...but one of the best 3rd teams in their division in the nation, rest assured.
Ross (Projection: #4 in South): It's a do or die year for Mike Sherman; the good news is that he finally has a talented and experienced team in place. The core of the offense is back, including QB Jerrod Johnson, who should be the best QB in the league. If they can fill a few holes along the offensive line, they should have an incredibly explosive offense. The defense also brings back nine starters, which would be really good news if they hadn't spent the better part of the last few years getting utterly torched and disgracing the unit's former "Wrecking Crew" moniker. The schedule is troubling, too, as they get all three of what could be the best teams in the Big 12 North (Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas).
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Chris (Projection: #4 in South): I like Texas Tech (or well what they did under Leach. It was a brilliant gameplan to beat teams). I like Tommy Tubberville. But as American Idol's Simon Cowell once said of a performer "You and Latin music go together about as well as Garlic and Ice Cream." That is the case here. Tubberville likes to run (evidenced by the Cadillac Williams/Ronnie Brown tandem). Texas Tech's pedigree is passing, and they were groomed over the last decade to do nothing else. So once again, I like both parties, but who doesn't see a fall with the system change and Tubberville at the helm? I just don't know if Tommy is the guy for the Red Raiders...but have faith in a more conventional job (a la not Mike Leach tries to throw a pass between every breath).
Ross (Projection: #3 in South): There's a lot of talent back on offense and a decent amount back on defense; if Mike Leach was still around, this might be a dark horse team to win the South, given the holes that Texas and Oklahoma have to fill. But with Leach gone and Tommy Tuberville in charge, this team is a total wildcard. While Tuberville claims he wants to keep the air raid passing game, given his past, it's hard not to see him dramatically increasing the importance of the running game -- and it's anyone's guess as to how that will go. On the plus side, they draw Iowa State and Colorado from the Big 12 North, which may be just enough to let them slide ahead of Texas A&M.
CFBZ Predicted Big 12 Finish
North
1. Nebraska Cornhuskers
2. Missouri Tigers
3. Colorado Buffaloes
4. Kansas Jayhawks
5. Kansas State Wildcats
6. Iowa State Cyclones
South
1. Oklahoma Sooners
2. Texas Longhorns
3. Texas A&M Aggies
4. Texas Tech Red Raiders
5. (tie) Baylor Bears
5. (tie) Oklahoma State Cowboys
Big 12 Championship Game: Nebraska Cornhuskers over Oklahoma Sooners
North
Nebraska Cornhuskers 10-4 (6-2)
Missouri Tigers 8-5 (4-4)
Kansas State Wildcats 6-6 (4-4)
Iowa State Cyclones 7-6 (3-5)
Colorado Buffaloes 3-9 (2-6)
Kansas Jayhawks 5-7 (1-7)
South
Texas Longhorns 13-1 (8-0)
Oklahoma State Cowboys 9-4 (6-2)
Texas Tech Red Raiders 9-4 (5-3)
Oklahoma Sooners 8-5 (5-3)
Texas A&M Aggies 6-7 (3-5)
Baylor Bears 4-8 (1-7)
Big 12 Championship Game: Texas 13 Nebraska 12
Returning Leaders: Passing
Blaine Gabbert, Missouri, Jr (262 of 445 for 3593, 24 TD, 9 INT)
Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M, Sr (296 of 497 for 3579, 30 TD, 8 INT)
Taylor Potts, Texas Tech, Sr (309 of 470 for 3440, 22 TD, 13 INT)
Landry Jones, Oklahoma, Soph (261 of 449 for 3198, 26 TD, 14 INT)
Zac Lee, Nebraska, Sr (177 of 302 for 2143, 14 TD, 10 INT)
Returning Leaders: Rushing
Daniel Thomas, Kansas St, Sr (247 carries for 1265 yds, 11 TD)
Alexander Robinson, Iowa St, Sr (231 carries for 1193 yds, 5 TD)
Roy Helu, Nebraska, Sr (220 carries for 1147 yds, 10 TD)
Baron Batch, Texas Tech, Sr (168 carries for 884 yds, 14 TD)
Derrick Washington, Missouri, Sr (190 carries for 865 yds, 10 TD)
Returning Leaders: Receiving
Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma, Jr (89 rec for 1120 yds, 15 TD)
Scotty McKnight, Colorado, Sr (76 rec for 893 yds, 6 TD)
Alexander Torres, Texas Tech, Sr (67 rec for 806 yds, 6 TD)
Kendall Wright, Baylor, Jr (66 rec for 740 yds, 4 TD)
Detron Lewis, Texas Tech, Sr (65 rec for 844 yds, 6 TD)
Returning Leaders: Tackles
Travis Lewis, Oklahoma, Jr, LB (108 total, 8.3 tackles/game)
Trent Hunter, Texas A&M, Jr, S (95 total, 7.3 tackles/game)
Quinton Carter, Oklahoma, Sr, S (88 total, 6.7 tackles/game)
Drew Dudley, Kansas, Sr, LB (88 total, 7.3 tackles/game)
David Sims, Iowa State, Sr, S (88 total, 6.7 tackles/game)
Returning Leaders: Sacks
Von Miller, Texas A&M, Sr, LB (16.5 sacks)
Aldon Smith, Missouri, Soph, DE (11.5)
Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma, Sr (11.0)
Jared Crick, Nebraska, Jr (9.5)
Sam Acho, Texas, Sr (7.0)
Returning Leaders: Interceptions
Blake Gideon, Texas, Jr, S (6 interceptions)
Tysyn Hartman, Kansas St, Jr, S (5)
David Sims, Iowa State, Sr, S (5)
Prince Amukamara, Nebraska, CB (5)
BREAKING DOWN THE BIG 12 WITH THE ZEALOTS
Baylor Bears
Chris (Projection: #5 in South): So much is the effect of having Robert Griffin III back in a Bears uniform after his injury, that his presence alone helps them to jump Oklahoma St. and lead the team towards a quasi-relevant state. Now just remember he's only a sophomore.
Ross (Projection: #5 in South): They're the feel good story of the Big 12, between their long bowl drought and the fact that QB Robert Griffin is one of the most exciting players in college football -- or was, anyway, before he blew out his knee last year. Time will tell if he's able to regain his breathtaking pre-injury form. To get to a bowl this year, they're going to need to put up a ton of points, given all the holes they have on defense; good thing they return a slew of players on offense and get Griffin back to run the show. Really, their season is going to rise or fall on the condition of Griffin's knee; if he's all the way back, their offense should be very good and he may be able to lead them to six wins and the promised land of a bowl game. If he's not all the way back, it's probably another disappointing season in Waco.
Colorado Buffaloes
Ross (Projection: #4 in North): Dan Hawkins somehow survived to face another year as Colorado's head coach, but at least he has a lot of returning starters with him to try and get things turned around (or just send him out on a high note). They have ten back on offense (everyone but the TE) and seven back on defense (3/4 of the defensive line and secondary), so if Hawkins is ever going to get anything going at Colorado, it's probably going to be now. Too bad the schedule is such a bear: Georgia and Cal should be difficult challenges in the non-conference slate and the Big 12 road games are so challenging (Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska), it's hard to see them winning even one of those. 4-4 in the Big 12 might be a solid accomplishment for this team.
Chris (Projection: #3 in North): Dan Hawkins was supposed to revitalize Colorado Buffalo football. That was what he was brought in for. But 4 years and a 16-33 record later, it's apparent that the only reason he is still there is that he is too expensive to buy out for the Colorado Athletic Department. The real interesting this is that he finally decided to bench his son and make the dinner table at the Hawkins house a little more awkward. Although, he could be just trying to improve his son's life expectancy by getting him out of the way of charging defensive linemen that were allowed to pray on Buffalo QB's to the tune of 44 sacks last year. In all fairness, I do think this is the year Hawkins turns it around...a little. Why wouldn't it be with a team returning 15 starters and 7 in an above average D a year ago. Their schedule doesn't do them any favors in the record department, so I don't think they'll be going bowling, but it's so strong that it can prepare them for conference play.
Iowa State Cyclones
Chris (Projection: #5 in North): To be honest, this is again a case of little separation between the Cyclones and the Wildcats. Quarterback Austin Arnaud may be the difference between last and next to last for the Cyclones, as they return 7 other offensive starters around him. The real issue is that their suspect defense has a lot of new faces on it, so the offense will have to be on it's game week in and week out to keep from falling into the Big 12 North dungeon.
Ross (Projection: #6 in North): They return plenty on offense (starters at QB, RB, WR, and 3/5 of the OL), but returning just four starters on defense is going to put a lot of pressure on new faces to step up and stop the Big 12's many potent offenses. But the biggest problem is a schedule that puts Texas, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech on the slate (not to mention challenging non-conference games against Iowa, Utah, and Northern Illinois), brings Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri to Ames and sends them to Colorado (trickier than it seems) for a road game. That schedule is just too daunting to see them amassing too many wins in 2010.
Kansas Jayhawks
Ross (Projection: #3 in North): There's a fair amount back on offense (7 players, including the entire offensive line), but there are a few glaring holes: namely, QB Todd Reesing, a multi-year starter, and his favorite targets, WR Dez Briscoe and WR Kerry Meier; that's a lot of production for the offense to replace. The defense returns six starters, so there are even more holes to fill on that side of the ball, but the schedule should help new coach Turner Gill get off to a hot start. They draw Baylor, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma State from the Big 12 South and their only really tough road game looks like a trip to Lincoln to take on Nebraska.
Chris (Projection: #4 in North): Never in my life have I seen a college football team go from so hot to so cold like Kansas did a year ago. After winning their first 5, the Jayhawks dropped their last 7, including a puzzling couple of decisions from the Mangino-man (who should now be able to successfully launch his career as the next Jared for Subway) that showed he knew he was on the way out and truly didn't care about his job anymore. Mangino sure picked the right time to leave though (well actually, by picked I mean he was fired), as Todd Reesing and the team built around him is now Kale Pick's team. Who? Yeah, that's the successor to Reesing. No offense to Turner Gill, but I think this team, with all the bad that Mangino left behind, will be too much of a project to turn around in one year...especially when only returning 11 starters.
Kansas State Wildcats
Ross (Projection: #5 in North): A team that was already lacking in talent now has to deal with returning just five starters on offense and six on defense; that's going to be tricky. With 4/5 of the offensive line back and a talented workhorse running back in Daniel Thomas, it's pretty clear what K-State is going to do on offense: run run and then run some more. The last thing a rebuilding and inexperienced team needs is a schedule short on easy home games, but that's exactly what K-State has: just three true home games (a fourth home game is in Kansas City against Iowa State) and they're against Texas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma State. Winning either the Texas or Nebraska games is going to be very challenging, which is going to put a lot of pressure on a young team to pick up some wins on the road.
Chris (Projection: #6 in North): The Wildcats were 108th in the nation in passing a year ago, a stat that is likely to even fall further without a returning starter at receiver, tight end or quarterback. They will rely on Daniel Thomas and hope that a revamped defense which was very strong from a year ago will keep them in the Big 12 chase. But that's an awful lot of if's, and it is my belief that Kansas St. will become too one dimensional on offense and opponents will be quick to catch on.
Missouri Tigers
Chris (Projection: #2 in North): Anyone who thought that Mizzou was going to take a step back after Chase Daniel left was rudely awakened when they dismantled (but that word doesn't even do it justice) the fresh off a BCS bowl bid Illinois 37-9 in week 1. From that point on, Blaine Gabbert and Derrick Washington put on an offensive clinic. Guess what? They're back! Both of them. Big 12 D-coordinators will not sleep before their matchup with Missouri...or after them either. I believe in Missouri so much that if any other team not named Nebraska (okay, so not ANY other team, but the list of teams that would make me change that statement is short) was in their division, I would take them to win it.
Ross (Projection: #2 in North): Nebraska is the odds-on favorite in the B12 North, but if anyone can give them a run, it's Missouri, who returns eight starters on offense and defense, including returning stars at QB (Blaine Gabbert) and RB (Derrick Washington) and most of their offensive line and their entire defensive secondary. So the talent appears to be there. The schedule is challenging, though: they have a five-game stretch in the middle of the season (Colorado, @ Texas A&M, Oklahoma, @ Nebraska, @ Texas Tech) that could derail things.
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Chris (Projection: #1 in North): The Huskers were seconds away from a BCS bowl and an upset of the national runner-up, and seconds from an upset of a Virginia Tech team that won 10 games as well. That accounted for half of their losses a year ago. Back are 9 players on offense from a struggling unit a year ago, including their leading passer, rusher, and receiver. Also back is a strong core of 6 starters on a top-10 defense only led by one of the game's top defensive minds. The Huskers are primed for success this season and to follow up on their 2009 campaign to prove that it wasn't a fluke. Newsflash: It wasn't. If the Huskers can hold off the Tigers, they'll be heading to the Big 12 ship.
Ross (Projection: #1 in North): Losing Ndamukong Suh is unquestionably a massive blow to the defense and the entire team, but they have some other NFL-ready defensive stars (Jared Crick, Pierre Allen, Prince Amukamara) ready to step up and keep the defense as one of the top defenses in the league (and nation). Nine guys are back on an offense that was utterly wretched a year ago; hopefully another year of experience will allow them to blossom into, at least, competence. The Texas game is a lynchpin to their season and a win could springboard them to big things. Regardless, it's nigh-impossible to see anyone in the Big 12 North challenging them.
Oklahoma Sooners
Chris (Projection: #1 in South): The good news is that if Oklahoma somehow gives this race away, quarterback Landry Jones will be a shoe in for the 30th annual America's worst facial hair award. The bad news for the Big 12 South is that is unlikely to happen. Expect DeMarco Murray to absolutely DOMINATE the Big 12 this year en route to the conference's Offensive Player of the Year award. Just like Texas they don't bring a lot back, but just like Texas (or at least much like Texas) Oklahoma recruits seem to deliver in the clutch (unlike their coach Bob Stoops). The Sooners are ready to put behind them a year where their universe was turned upside down...and I think they will do it.
Ross (Projection: #2 in South): The loss of Bradford and Gresham so early last year meant that Oklahoma had to get a headstart on the post-Bradford/Gresham era, which should give them an advantage heading into this year. Landry Jones took his lumps as Bradford's replacement a year ago, but he came on strong at the end of the year and a full off-season of practice should have him ready to become the next incredibly prolific Oklahoma QB. They return a ton of other starters on offense, and while the defense needs a lot of patching up, defense tends to be Stoops' specialty. The bigger concern is the schedule, which includes some challenging non-conference games (Florida State, Air Force, and Cincinnati) and only three conference home games (since the Texas game is at the Cotton Bowl). Then again, if Oklahoma can get by Texas, there's no reason not to think that they could run the table in the Big 12.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Chris (Projection: #6 in South): Long season ahead for the Pokes...you know, full of things like Mike Gundy rants, and losing to Oklahoma, and being back at the bottom of the Big 12 totem pole. I'm sorry if nobody else sees it, but returning only 5 starters in this league lands you here. If you don't agree with me GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT! IT MAKES ME WANT TO PUKE!
Ross (Projection: #6 in South): This year we'll find out how well Mike Gundy has recruited since turning 40. They lost a ton of proven talent on offense and defense; until they show us how well they can replace guys like Zac Robinson, Dez Bryant, and Russell Okung, it's reasonable to be skeptical of their prospects in 2010.
Texas Longhorns
Chris (Projection: #2 in South): I was SO close to giving this spot to Texas A&M, but just couldn't bring myself to it. That defense is horrid, no matter how many starters they return. Still if Texas' young squad should leave the door open for Jerrod Johnson to work his magic, you could see the Aggies overtaking the Horns in the standings. But, instead I'll go with conventional wisdom and say that the A&M defense will still be bad (you can't make THAT drastic of an improvement in one year), and I'll trust Mack Brown's recruits on getting the job done. What reason do we not have to trust this guy? He delivers!
Ross (Projection: #1 in South): The offense needs to be totally rebuilt and they lost some key performers on defense, too -- so why pick them to win the South? Like all the other elite teams, they reload and with Muschamp running the defense, it's pretty likely that he'll have another very good unit on the field. The offense is more of a question mark, but Garrett Gilbert is plenty talented (as he showed in the second half of the BCS title game last year). The best thing Texas has going for them is their schedule, which is paper-thin: they play only three true road games all year (@ Texas Tech, @ Nebraska, @ Kansas State) and it's really a two-game schedule (vs. Nebraska and Oklahoma). A split in those games and 11-1, 7-1 in the Big 12 looks very possible.
Texas A&M Aggies
Chris (Projection: #3 in South): Jerodd Johnson is one of the nation's best players, and he'll get to show his skills with a lot of skill position talent around him. However, there are two concerns at A&M. One, the new offensive tackles are both freshmen! Yikes! Johnson will have to use his athletic ability to evade pressure early on. Also, a defense that was just absolutely pathetic a year ago returns 10 starters but just like Callahan Brake Pads, won't offer you any guarantee. To me that spells Texas A&M in third...but one of the best 3rd teams in their division in the nation, rest assured.
Ross (Projection: #4 in South): It's a do or die year for Mike Sherman; the good news is that he finally has a talented and experienced team in place. The core of the offense is back, including QB Jerrod Johnson, who should be the best QB in the league. If they can fill a few holes along the offensive line, they should have an incredibly explosive offense. The defense also brings back nine starters, which would be really good news if they hadn't spent the better part of the last few years getting utterly torched and disgracing the unit's former "Wrecking Crew" moniker. The schedule is troubling, too, as they get all three of what could be the best teams in the Big 12 North (Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas).
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Chris (Projection: #4 in South): I like Texas Tech (or well what they did under Leach. It was a brilliant gameplan to beat teams). I like Tommy Tubberville. But as American Idol's Simon Cowell once said of a performer "You and Latin music go together about as well as Garlic and Ice Cream." That is the case here. Tubberville likes to run (evidenced by the Cadillac Williams/Ronnie Brown tandem). Texas Tech's pedigree is passing, and they were groomed over the last decade to do nothing else. So once again, I like both parties, but who doesn't see a fall with the system change and Tubberville at the helm? I just don't know if Tommy is the guy for the Red Raiders...but have faith in a more conventional job (a la not Mike Leach tries to throw a pass between every breath).
Ross (Projection: #3 in South): There's a lot of talent back on offense and a decent amount back on defense; if Mike Leach was still around, this might be a dark horse team to win the South, given the holes that Texas and Oklahoma have to fill. But with Leach gone and Tommy Tuberville in charge, this team is a total wildcard. While Tuberville claims he wants to keep the air raid passing game, given his past, it's hard not to see him dramatically increasing the importance of the running game -- and it's anyone's guess as to how that will go. On the plus side, they draw Iowa State and Colorado from the Big 12 North, which may be just enough to let them slide ahead of Texas A&M.
CFBZ Predicted Big 12 Finish
North
1. Nebraska Cornhuskers
2. Missouri Tigers
3. Colorado Buffaloes
4. Kansas Jayhawks
5. Kansas State Wildcats
6. Iowa State Cyclones
South
1. Oklahoma Sooners
2. Texas Longhorns
3. Texas A&M Aggies
4. Texas Tech Red Raiders
5. (tie) Baylor Bears
5. (tie) Oklahoma State Cowboys
Big 12 Championship Game: Nebraska Cornhuskers over Oklahoma Sooners
Monday, July 5, 2010
Pre-Season Preview: Texas Longhorns
2009 Record: 13-1 (8-0 in Big 12)
2009 Bowl: BCS Championship Game (lost to Alabama 37-21)
Final 2009 AP Ranking: #2
Head Coach: Mack Brown (128-27 at Texas, 214-101-1 All-Time)
Non-Conference Schedule: at Rice (9/4), Wyoming (9/11), UCLA (9/25), Florida Atlantic (11/20)
2009 Offensive Statistics
Scoring: 39.3 points per game (1st in Big 12, 3rd in Nation)
Rushing Yards/Game: 147 (5th in Big 12)
Passing Yards/Game: 273 (6th in Big 12)
Total Yards/Game: 421 (5th in Big 12)
2009 Defensive Statistics
Scoring: 16.7 points per game (3rd in Big 12, 12th in Nation)
Rushing Yards/Game: 72 (1st in Big 12, 1st in Nation)
Passing Yards/Game: 179 (2nd in Big 12, 19th in Nation)
Total Yards/Game: 251 (1st in Big 12, 3rd in Nation)
2009 Misc Stats
Turnover Margin: +0.64 per game (1st in Big 12, 15th in Nation)
Penalties: 58 yards per game (4th in Big 12)
Returning Starters
Offense: 5
Defense: 7
Kicker/Punter: 1
Top Returning Statistical Leaders
Passing: QB Garrett Gilbert, Soph (30 of 66 for 310 yds, 2 TD, 4 INT)
Rushing: RB Tre' Newton, Soph (116 carries for 577 yds, 6 TD, 4.8 ypc, 39 ypg)
Receiving: WR James Kirkendall, Sr (48 rec, 461 yds, 6 TD, 3.4 rec/game)
Receiving: WR Malcolm Williams, Jr (39 rec, 550 yds, 2 TD, 2.8 rec/game, 14.1 ypc)
Tackles: LB Keenan Robinson, Jr (74)
Sacks: DT Sam Acho, Sr (10)
Interceptions: FS Blake Gideon, Jr (6)
2010 Pre-Season Rankings
Athlon Sports: #8
Lindy's: #4
Mark Schlabach: #5
Rivals: #8
Scout: #3
Sporting News: #9
Sports Illustrated: #4
2010 Pre-Season Big 12 South Prediction:
Athlon Sports: #2
Phil Steele: #2
Bowl Prediction:
Athlon Sports: Cotton Bowl (vs. Arkansas)
Phil Steele: Cotton Bowl (vs. Arkansas)
Since taking over at Texas Mack Brown has led the Longhorns to a bowl game every year and has won at least 10 games in each of the past 9 years. Brown has never finished lower than 2nd in the Big 12 South. Last year Texas had close calls against Oklahoma and Nebraska but went into the National Championship game against Alabama unbeaten. This year the Longhorns must replace long-time QB and holder of many Texas records Colt McCoy. Defensively, the Longhorns should be the best in the Big 12. Most of the questions will come with the offense. We caught up with Wescott Eberts, an Editor and Recruiting Coverage Coordinator for SB Nation's Burnt Orange Nation, to get caught up on the 2010 Texas Longhorns.
What are the major strengths and biggest weaknesses of the team?
The biggest strengths will both be on the defensive side of the ball -- at defensive end and in the secondary. At defensive end, senior Sam Acho and Eddie Jones will lead the way. Acho led the team in sacks last year with 10 and consistently created and recovered fumbles -- he's primed for a big-time senior season. Jones may not start, but will play a large role defensively as the third defensive end in the rotation. A former five-star recruit, Jones suffered through numerous injuries during his first several seasons and was healthy last season for the first time in his career -- he's a testament to hard work and perseverance.
Sophomore Alex Okafor was a five-star recruit in the 2009 class and should play a bigger role in 2010 with the departure of Sergio Kindle. An incredible physical specimen, Okafor has all the tools to become a dominant force along the line of scrimmage. The Longhorns also have several talented defensive ends who will be freshmen in the fall, including five-star recruit Jackson Jeffcoat, ESPNU's second-rated player nationally and a remarkable technician for someone his age. Reggie Wilson just barely missed his fifth star by Rivals and has better athleticism than Jeffcoat, but lags behind slightly in technique. Both could have an impact on pass-rushing downs.
The secondary is the greatest strength of the team and the defensive unit, which should rank among the best in the country again this season. Junior nickel corner Aaron Williams didn't make a lot of pre-season All-American teams, but is considered a potential top-10 pick next April if he decides to forgo his senior season of eligibility. A form tackler with the strength to fight off blockers and the speed to blanket slot receivers, Williams is everything that Will Muschamp could want from a cornerback.
The other two cornerbacks will probably also play on Sundays. Senior Curtis Brown was another five-star recruit several years and has struggled at times being physical enough as a tackler, but has elite speed and made the game-changing play against Oklahoma State last year, jumping a route and taking the interception to the house. He's known as "Cat" to his teammates because of his incredible balance.
Another senior, Chykie Brown has NFL potential, but has to cut down on his mental mistakes in his final season in Austin. Junior Blake Gideon is the steadying influence in the secondary and although he struggles taking good angles and with his lateral quickness, he finished plays much better last year by pulling down six interceptions. At the other safety position, junior Christian Scott should start after spending last season on the sidelines because he was academically ineligible. He has all the tools at 6-1, 215 pounds, but needs reign in his aggressiveness to avoid falling for play-action fakes. Sophomore Kenny Vaccaro is another hard hitter at safety who needs to work on his discipline, but has the ability to erase mistakes by erasing opponents from the contest with his vicious strikes.
As far as weaknesses, both of the starting tackles are relatively unproven -- senior Kyle Hix moved from right tackle to left tackle and the new right tackle, senior Britt Mitchell, is a converted tight end (some time ago now though) and hasn't started yet in his career. Texas will also replace the starting center and left guard. Overall, the offensive line needs to improve in their physicality at the point of attack, while also weening themselves of the consistent mental mistakes and trying to avoid in 2010 the whippings by gap-penetrating defensive tackles meted out by Gerald McCoy, Ndamukong Suh, and Marcel Dareus in 2009. Basically, they need to get nasty and develop some pride.
Depth at defensive tackle is also a concern for the third year in the row. Over the last two years, the coaching staff has spun down two defensive ends to defensive tackle -- Aaron Lewis and Lamarr Houston. The third player in that line will be Sam Acho this season. The coaches seem serious about playing the standout senior inside on pass-rushing downs, but make no mistake -- the move was motivated in large part by a desire to light a fire under players like redshirt freshmen Calvin Howell and Derek Johnson, as well as other defensive ends who could spent some time inside like Tevin Mims and Kyle Kriegel, a sophomore and redshirt freshman, respectively.
Mack Brown has also made it a point to say that he expects one or two of the three incoming defensive tackles to contribute early. De'Aires Cotton is the most raw of the three and will probably redshirt, placing a great deal of pressure on Under Armour All-Americans Taylor Bible and Ashtn Dorsey. Bible was the more highly regarded of the two throughout most of the recruiting process, but a shoulder injury affected his conditioning as a senior, leaving the formerly lightning-quick DT looking sluggish on the field. Unless he can get himself into top shape, which he did not appear particularly close to at the spring game, Dorsey will be counted on to provide some snaps.
Looking at the schedule who will be the first major test?
The Longhorns travel to Texas Tech for the third game of the season and strange things always happen on the South Plains, particularly at night, so it's going to be a challenge. Throw in the Airraid offense, which will persevere after the departure of Mike Leach and what will likely be an increased emphasis on the running game with talented backs like Baron Batch, Eric Stephens, and Harrison Jeffers, and you have the potential for another upset. Fortunately for Texas, they only seem to lose in Lubbock every other trip. Don't count on Texas to suffer any hangovers from the trauma of The Catch -- this team has moved on from that, particularly Blake Gideon.
What team on the schedule do you fear the most?
Over the years, I've developed a deep fear of playing Tech in Lubbock, even though they won't be the best team on the schedule this year. It's not really rational at this point.
Who is the best player on your team that nobody talks about?
I think that has to be Aaron Williams. Teams rarely targeted him last year, to the extent that he revealed during a press conference some time during the season that he prays for quarterbacks to throw at him. Even when they don't, he can still make plays, as evidenced by his spectacular leaping interception against Oklahoma on a pass Landry Jones was trying to throw out of bounds. Not only is the kid the protoype for a cornerback -- and especially a nickel back -- but he also maximizes that talent.
Who is the best offensive player on the team?
He hasn't started a game yet for the Longhorns, but Garrett Gilbert is already clearly the leader of the team and the best player on offense. Once he settled into a rhythm in the national championship game, he flashed his ability and sparkled through most of the spring game.
During the second open practice back in March, Gilbert not only made several NFL-quality throws, and perhaps more importantly, took control of the team by leading the celebrations afterward -- somewhat out of character for the normally soft-spoken sophomore, but evidence of his growing leadership. He has poise beyond his years and his teammates pick up on that and the way that he practices has a lot to do with it. Gilbert goes about his businss with the same type of intensity and purpose as you would expect Peyton Manning to show practicing or preparing.
Who is the most impactful defensive player on the team?
Due to his ability to get to the quarterback and force/recover fumbles, Sam Acho should be the most impactful player on the defensive side of the ball and could present a major challenge to opposing guards in passing situations, as well as continue making plays from his defensive end. As a senior, it's his first opportunity to play full-time and there's no doubt that he's ready for it. And if you want to know what type of person Acho is, just check out this unprompted, random, user-generated story from BON about he and his brother, junior linebacker Emmanuel.
What player(s) needs to step up this year in order for the team to reach it's full capability?
I don't think there's any question that the offensive line needs to step up this season. The spring was spent mostly focusing on improving the running game by consistently using not only a tight end (the fabled Extra Blocking Surface) and an H-back, but it will be up to the offensive line to open up holes for the running backs. The Longhorns also lost their left tackle, Adam Ulatoski, who was a four-year starter at the position and excelled in pass protection. Kyle Hix, the starter last season at right tackle, moves to the other side of the line and needs to step up in pass protection or Gilbert will have trouble delivering the ball downfield.
Who is the top offensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
The most likely freshman to have a major impact offensively is wide receiver Mike Davis. An excellent route-runner from talent-laden Dallas Skyline, Davis has the chance to make big plays in the passing game on the double moves from the slot that made Jordan Shipley such a dangerous threat throughout his career in burnt orange. He'll have a chance to play early because few receivers enter the college game with as much polish as does Davis and that's a way to quickly earn the trust of a quarter like Gilbert, who somehow established a strong connection with sophomore speedster Marquis Goodwin in a matter of weeks last fall.
Who is the top defensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
As mentioned above, Jeffcoat could see some time in pass-rushing situations, but another highly-touted, five-star recruit may have a greater impact due to the depth chart at his position and his ability to contribute on special teams. That's Ohio linebacker Jordan Hicks, the Butkus award winner as the best linebacker in the country and one of the best recruits to every come out of the state. He's a Will Muschamp type of linebacker because he has it all -- size, speed, and aggressiveness. The fact that his high school team ran the same scheme as the Longhorns will only ease his transition. During the Under Armour game last year, it was Hicks delivering a good block downfield that helped spring fellow Texas commit Darius White for a punt return touchdown. It says something about how strongly Texas finished in the 2010 class that neither of those players were committed to Texas during that game in January, though White would don a Texas hat moments later.
Will Muschamp is one of the top Assistants in all of college football and is also the coach in waiting at Texas. Do you see Mack Brown retiring in a year or two and if not do you see Muschamp moving on if he gets a good job offer (presumably one better than the Tennessee offer he got last year)?
I think Mack Brown sticks around for a while. He's seemingly more at ease right now than he ever has been at Texas -- notable because it took him a few years to adjust to the culture and high expectations at the school. The staff around him is excellent and he's hauling in nearly every recruit he targets, so it's hard to see him stepping down in the middle of this run of success. Why would he want to? It's not a secret that Brown doesn't want to coach into his old age like Joe Paterno, but he's just too happy right now and in too strong of a position to want to leave yet. He still has a significant portion of his legacy to write at Texas.
The only two jobs that I could see Muschamp leaving for are Georgia and LSU. Muschamp spent some time at LSU under Nick Saban and Les Miles will surely be on the hot seat this season, so it's the other job that is a bigger concern. Mark Richt is another season of mediocrity away from his seat heating up and if there is one school that could really appeal to Muschamp, it's his alma mater, Georgia.
However, Muschamp doesn't seem to be in a hurry to be a head coach and his wife reportedly loves Austin, so those two factors combined with Texas perhaps being arguably the best job in the country will hopefully keep Coach Boom rooming the Texas sidelines indefinitely.
If he's as smart as I think he is, he understands that he can learn a lot from Mack Brown about how to run a program and at times he might even be happy that he doesn't have all the politcal/social obligations of being a head coach. Muschamp would much rather be breaking down film than glad-handing or dealing with the media, areas in which Brown excels. It's exremely believable that Muschamp truly is willing to be patient. And frankly, he just doesn't seem like the mercenary sort. Can't blame me for that belief as a Texas fan, right?
Gut feeling on the teams final record at the end of the regular season and what makes this a successful season in your eyes?
Judging by the success of the last few seasons, it seems like a safe bet to pencil in 10 wins and I'm just having a hard time picking out any guaranteed losses because the defense should keep the offense in most games. I don't see more than two losses. The standard at Texas is high and if the team isn't competing for at least a BCS game at the end of the season, it would be a major failure because that's the worst position the program has been in throughout most of the last decade. Three losses in the regular season would be treated by the Texas fanbase as a major catastrophe, in large part because Texas will be favored in virtually every game this season with the possible exception of Oklahoma.
Check out Burnt Orange Nation to get your fill on Texas and Big 12 football. You can follow Burnt Orange Nation on twitter @PB_at_BON and you can follow Wescott Eberts on Twitter @GhostofBigRoy.
Next Up: Oklahoma Sooners
Previous Big 12 Previews
Kansas State Wildcats
Missouri Tigers
Texas Tech Red Raiders
2010 Previews
ACC- Boston College Eagles, Duke Blue Devils, Florida State Seminoles, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Maryland Terrapins, Virginia Tech Hokies
Big East- Cincinnati Bearcats, Pittsburgh Panthers, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, USF Bulls, West Virginia Mountaineers
Big Ten- Illinois Fighting Illini, Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Northwestern Wildcats, Purdue Boilermakers
C-USA- Houston Cougars, SMU Mustangs, Southern Miss Golden Eagles, Tulane Green Wave, UTEP Miners
MAC- Ball State Cardinals, Bowling Green Falcons, Buffalo Bulls, Central Michigan Chippewas, Temple Owls, Toledo Rockets
MWC- Colorado State Rams, UNLV Rebels, Utah Utes
Pac-10- Arizona State Sun Devils, Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, Washington Huskies
SEC- Auburn Tigers, Kentucky Wildcats, Mississippi Rebels, South Carolina Gamecocks, Vanderbilt Commodores
Sun Belt- Troy Trojans
WAC- New Mexico State Aggies
2009 Bowl: BCS Championship Game (lost to Alabama 37-21)
Final 2009 AP Ranking: #2
Head Coach: Mack Brown (128-27 at Texas, 214-101-1 All-Time)
Non-Conference Schedule: at Rice (9/4), Wyoming (9/11), UCLA (9/25), Florida Atlantic (11/20)
2009 Offensive Statistics
Scoring: 39.3 points per game (1st in Big 12, 3rd in Nation)
Rushing Yards/Game: 147 (5th in Big 12)
Passing Yards/Game: 273 (6th in Big 12)
Total Yards/Game: 421 (5th in Big 12)
2009 Defensive Statistics
Scoring: 16.7 points per game (3rd in Big 12, 12th in Nation)
Rushing Yards/Game: 72 (1st in Big 12, 1st in Nation)
Passing Yards/Game: 179 (2nd in Big 12, 19th in Nation)
Total Yards/Game: 251 (1st in Big 12, 3rd in Nation)
2009 Misc Stats
Turnover Margin: +0.64 per game (1st in Big 12, 15th in Nation)
Penalties: 58 yards per game (4th in Big 12)
Returning Starters
Offense: 5
Defense: 7
Kicker/Punter: 1
Top Returning Statistical Leaders
Passing: QB Garrett Gilbert, Soph (30 of 66 for 310 yds, 2 TD, 4 INT)
Rushing: RB Tre' Newton, Soph (116 carries for 577 yds, 6 TD, 4.8 ypc, 39 ypg)
Receiving: WR James Kirkendall, Sr (48 rec, 461 yds, 6 TD, 3.4 rec/game)
Receiving: WR Malcolm Williams, Jr (39 rec, 550 yds, 2 TD, 2.8 rec/game, 14.1 ypc)
Tackles: LB Keenan Robinson, Jr (74)
Sacks: DT Sam Acho, Sr (10)
Interceptions: FS Blake Gideon, Jr (6)
2010 Pre-Season Rankings
Athlon Sports: #8
Lindy's: #4
Mark Schlabach: #5
Rivals: #8
Scout: #3
Sporting News: #9
Sports Illustrated: #4
2010 Pre-Season Big 12 South Prediction:
Athlon Sports: #2
Phil Steele: #2
Bowl Prediction:
Athlon Sports: Cotton Bowl (vs. Arkansas)
Phil Steele: Cotton Bowl (vs. Arkansas)
Since taking over at Texas Mack Brown has led the Longhorns to a bowl game every year and has won at least 10 games in each of the past 9 years. Brown has never finished lower than 2nd in the Big 12 South. Last year Texas had close calls against Oklahoma and Nebraska but went into the National Championship game against Alabama unbeaten. This year the Longhorns must replace long-time QB and holder of many Texas records Colt McCoy. Defensively, the Longhorns should be the best in the Big 12. Most of the questions will come with the offense. We caught up with Wescott Eberts, an Editor and Recruiting Coverage Coordinator for SB Nation's Burnt Orange Nation, to get caught up on the 2010 Texas Longhorns.
What are the major strengths and biggest weaknesses of the team?
The biggest strengths will both be on the defensive side of the ball -- at defensive end and in the secondary. At defensive end, senior Sam Acho and Eddie Jones will lead the way. Acho led the team in sacks last year with 10 and consistently created and recovered fumbles -- he's primed for a big-time senior season. Jones may not start, but will play a large role defensively as the third defensive end in the rotation. A former five-star recruit, Jones suffered through numerous injuries during his first several seasons and was healthy last season for the first time in his career -- he's a testament to hard work and perseverance.
Sophomore Alex Okafor was a five-star recruit in the 2009 class and should play a bigger role in 2010 with the departure of Sergio Kindle. An incredible physical specimen, Okafor has all the tools to become a dominant force along the line of scrimmage. The Longhorns also have several talented defensive ends who will be freshmen in the fall, including five-star recruit Jackson Jeffcoat, ESPNU's second-rated player nationally and a remarkable technician for someone his age. Reggie Wilson just barely missed his fifth star by Rivals and has better athleticism than Jeffcoat, but lags behind slightly in technique. Both could have an impact on pass-rushing downs.
The secondary is the greatest strength of the team and the defensive unit, which should rank among the best in the country again this season. Junior nickel corner Aaron Williams didn't make a lot of pre-season All-American teams, but is considered a potential top-10 pick next April if he decides to forgo his senior season of eligibility. A form tackler with the strength to fight off blockers and the speed to blanket slot receivers, Williams is everything that Will Muschamp could want from a cornerback.
The other two cornerbacks will probably also play on Sundays. Senior Curtis Brown was another five-star recruit several years and has struggled at times being physical enough as a tackler, but has elite speed and made the game-changing play against Oklahoma State last year, jumping a route and taking the interception to the house. He's known as "Cat" to his teammates because of his incredible balance.
Another senior, Chykie Brown has NFL potential, but has to cut down on his mental mistakes in his final season in Austin. Junior Blake Gideon is the steadying influence in the secondary and although he struggles taking good angles and with his lateral quickness, he finished plays much better last year by pulling down six interceptions. At the other safety position, junior Christian Scott should start after spending last season on the sidelines because he was academically ineligible. He has all the tools at 6-1, 215 pounds, but needs reign in his aggressiveness to avoid falling for play-action fakes. Sophomore Kenny Vaccaro is another hard hitter at safety who needs to work on his discipline, but has the ability to erase mistakes by erasing opponents from the contest with his vicious strikes.
As far as weaknesses, both of the starting tackles are relatively unproven -- senior Kyle Hix moved from right tackle to left tackle and the new right tackle, senior Britt Mitchell, is a converted tight end (some time ago now though) and hasn't started yet in his career. Texas will also replace the starting center and left guard. Overall, the offensive line needs to improve in their physicality at the point of attack, while also weening themselves of the consistent mental mistakes and trying to avoid in 2010 the whippings by gap-penetrating defensive tackles meted out by Gerald McCoy, Ndamukong Suh, and Marcel Dareus in 2009. Basically, they need to get nasty and develop some pride.
Depth at defensive tackle is also a concern for the third year in the row. Over the last two years, the coaching staff has spun down two defensive ends to defensive tackle -- Aaron Lewis and Lamarr Houston. The third player in that line will be Sam Acho this season. The coaches seem serious about playing the standout senior inside on pass-rushing downs, but make no mistake -- the move was motivated in large part by a desire to light a fire under players like redshirt freshmen Calvin Howell and Derek Johnson, as well as other defensive ends who could spent some time inside like Tevin Mims and Kyle Kriegel, a sophomore and redshirt freshman, respectively.
Mack Brown has also made it a point to say that he expects one or two of the three incoming defensive tackles to contribute early. De'Aires Cotton is the most raw of the three and will probably redshirt, placing a great deal of pressure on Under Armour All-Americans Taylor Bible and Ashtn Dorsey. Bible was the more highly regarded of the two throughout most of the recruiting process, but a shoulder injury affected his conditioning as a senior, leaving the formerly lightning-quick DT looking sluggish on the field. Unless he can get himself into top shape, which he did not appear particularly close to at the spring game, Dorsey will be counted on to provide some snaps.
Looking at the schedule who will be the first major test?
The Longhorns travel to Texas Tech for the third game of the season and strange things always happen on the South Plains, particularly at night, so it's going to be a challenge. Throw in the Airraid offense, which will persevere after the departure of Mike Leach and what will likely be an increased emphasis on the running game with talented backs like Baron Batch, Eric Stephens, and Harrison Jeffers, and you have the potential for another upset. Fortunately for Texas, they only seem to lose in Lubbock every other trip. Don't count on Texas to suffer any hangovers from the trauma of The Catch -- this team has moved on from that, particularly Blake Gideon.
What team on the schedule do you fear the most?
Over the years, I've developed a deep fear of playing Tech in Lubbock, even though they won't be the best team on the schedule this year. It's not really rational at this point.
Who is the best player on your team that nobody talks about?
I think that has to be Aaron Williams. Teams rarely targeted him last year, to the extent that he revealed during a press conference some time during the season that he prays for quarterbacks to throw at him. Even when they don't, he can still make plays, as evidenced by his spectacular leaping interception against Oklahoma on a pass Landry Jones was trying to throw out of bounds. Not only is the kid the protoype for a cornerback -- and especially a nickel back -- but he also maximizes that talent.
Who is the best offensive player on the team?
He hasn't started a game yet for the Longhorns, but Garrett Gilbert is already clearly the leader of the team and the best player on offense. Once he settled into a rhythm in the national championship game, he flashed his ability and sparkled through most of the spring game.
During the second open practice back in March, Gilbert not only made several NFL-quality throws, and perhaps more importantly, took control of the team by leading the celebrations afterward -- somewhat out of character for the normally soft-spoken sophomore, but evidence of his growing leadership. He has poise beyond his years and his teammates pick up on that and the way that he practices has a lot to do with it. Gilbert goes about his businss with the same type of intensity and purpose as you would expect Peyton Manning to show practicing or preparing.
Who is the most impactful defensive player on the team?
Due to his ability to get to the quarterback and force/recover fumbles, Sam Acho should be the most impactful player on the defensive side of the ball and could present a major challenge to opposing guards in passing situations, as well as continue making plays from his defensive end. As a senior, it's his first opportunity to play full-time and there's no doubt that he's ready for it. And if you want to know what type of person Acho is, just check out this unprompted, random, user-generated story from BON about he and his brother, junior linebacker Emmanuel.
What player(s) needs to step up this year in order for the team to reach it's full capability?
I don't think there's any question that the offensive line needs to step up this season. The spring was spent mostly focusing on improving the running game by consistently using not only a tight end (the fabled Extra Blocking Surface) and an H-back, but it will be up to the offensive line to open up holes for the running backs. The Longhorns also lost their left tackle, Adam Ulatoski, who was a four-year starter at the position and excelled in pass protection. Kyle Hix, the starter last season at right tackle, moves to the other side of the line and needs to step up in pass protection or Gilbert will have trouble delivering the ball downfield.
Who is the top offensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
The most likely freshman to have a major impact offensively is wide receiver Mike Davis. An excellent route-runner from talent-laden Dallas Skyline, Davis has the chance to make big plays in the passing game on the double moves from the slot that made Jordan Shipley such a dangerous threat throughout his career in burnt orange. He'll have a chance to play early because few receivers enter the college game with as much polish as does Davis and that's a way to quickly earn the trust of a quarter like Gilbert, who somehow established a strong connection with sophomore speedster Marquis Goodwin in a matter of weeks last fall.
Who is the top defensive newcomer that can make an impact this year?
As mentioned above, Jeffcoat could see some time in pass-rushing situations, but another highly-touted, five-star recruit may have a greater impact due to the depth chart at his position and his ability to contribute on special teams. That's Ohio linebacker Jordan Hicks, the Butkus award winner as the best linebacker in the country and one of the best recruits to every come out of the state. He's a Will Muschamp type of linebacker because he has it all -- size, speed, and aggressiveness. The fact that his high school team ran the same scheme as the Longhorns will only ease his transition. During the Under Armour game last year, it was Hicks delivering a good block downfield that helped spring fellow Texas commit Darius White for a punt return touchdown. It says something about how strongly Texas finished in the 2010 class that neither of those players were committed to Texas during that game in January, though White would don a Texas hat moments later.
Will Muschamp is one of the top Assistants in all of college football and is also the coach in waiting at Texas. Do you see Mack Brown retiring in a year or two and if not do you see Muschamp moving on if he gets a good job offer (presumably one better than the Tennessee offer he got last year)?
I think Mack Brown sticks around for a while. He's seemingly more at ease right now than he ever has been at Texas -- notable because it took him a few years to adjust to the culture and high expectations at the school. The staff around him is excellent and he's hauling in nearly every recruit he targets, so it's hard to see him stepping down in the middle of this run of success. Why would he want to? It's not a secret that Brown doesn't want to coach into his old age like Joe Paterno, but he's just too happy right now and in too strong of a position to want to leave yet. He still has a significant portion of his legacy to write at Texas.
The only two jobs that I could see Muschamp leaving for are Georgia and LSU. Muschamp spent some time at LSU under Nick Saban and Les Miles will surely be on the hot seat this season, so it's the other job that is a bigger concern. Mark Richt is another season of mediocrity away from his seat heating up and if there is one school that could really appeal to Muschamp, it's his alma mater, Georgia.
However, Muschamp doesn't seem to be in a hurry to be a head coach and his wife reportedly loves Austin, so those two factors combined with Texas perhaps being arguably the best job in the country will hopefully keep Coach Boom rooming the Texas sidelines indefinitely.
If he's as smart as I think he is, he understands that he can learn a lot from Mack Brown about how to run a program and at times he might even be happy that he doesn't have all the politcal/social obligations of being a head coach. Muschamp would much rather be breaking down film than glad-handing or dealing with the media, areas in which Brown excels. It's exremely believable that Muschamp truly is willing to be patient. And frankly, he just doesn't seem like the mercenary sort. Can't blame me for that belief as a Texas fan, right?
Gut feeling on the teams final record at the end of the regular season and what makes this a successful season in your eyes?
Judging by the success of the last few seasons, it seems like a safe bet to pencil in 10 wins and I'm just having a hard time picking out any guaranteed losses because the defense should keep the offense in most games. I don't see more than two losses. The standard at Texas is high and if the team isn't competing for at least a BCS game at the end of the season, it would be a major failure because that's the worst position the program has been in throughout most of the last decade. Three losses in the regular season would be treated by the Texas fanbase as a major catastrophe, in large part because Texas will be favored in virtually every game this season with the possible exception of Oklahoma.
Check out Burnt Orange Nation to get your fill on Texas and Big 12 football. You can follow Burnt Orange Nation on twitter @PB_at_BON and you can follow Wescott Eberts on Twitter @GhostofBigRoy.
Next Up: Oklahoma Sooners
Previous Big 12 Previews
Kansas State Wildcats
Missouri Tigers
Texas Tech Red Raiders
2010 Previews
ACC- Boston College Eagles, Duke Blue Devils, Florida State Seminoles, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Maryland Terrapins, Virginia Tech Hokies
Big East- Cincinnati Bearcats, Pittsburgh Panthers, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, USF Bulls, West Virginia Mountaineers
Big Ten- Illinois Fighting Illini, Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Northwestern Wildcats, Purdue Boilermakers
C-USA- Houston Cougars, SMU Mustangs, Southern Miss Golden Eagles, Tulane Green Wave, UTEP Miners
MAC- Ball State Cardinals, Bowling Green Falcons, Buffalo Bulls, Central Michigan Chippewas, Temple Owls, Toledo Rockets
MWC- Colorado State Rams, UNLV Rebels, Utah Utes
Pac-10- Arizona State Sun Devils, Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, Washington Huskies
SEC- Auburn Tigers, Kentucky Wildcats, Mississippi Rebels, South Carolina Gamecocks, Vanderbilt Commodores
Sun Belt- Troy Trojans
WAC- New Mexico State Aggies
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